| Author | Message | ||
| James Clarke
Rating: N/A |
Hi, I just stumbled upon this great message board, you guys seem to have the greatest wealth of Coach conversion knowledge available on the Net. Hopefully someone who reads this can help me and some members of my Yahoo group: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/jumbocruiser We have been trying to track down the only Neoplan Jumboruiser double decker artic that made its way to ther U.S. (I am aware that some of the people who post on here are already members of our group) The Vehicle went under the names D1 Enterprise and more commonly known "Car-o-tel". It was 60' long and although under 13'6" tall, it had full standing height on both decks due to a split level floor upstairs, The extra headroom downstairs being conceiled under the beds upstairs, and a sunked floor upstairs over the downstairs beds. The upstairs gangway being on the drivers side and the downstairs gangway on the passenger side. There were also three rows of "cinema" seating up front giving all passengers a view of the road. Also shoehorned in was a kitchen, bar/diner, large store room at front of trailer and drivers accomodation. It was configured with 8 or 10 cabins each with WC and shower, like a mobile hotel/Motorhome. In my opinion it must have been one of the greatest vehicles ever created, although I have only seen it in pictures. The following ad. appeared in Bus World about 5 years ago: NEOPLAN TWO STORY. 60 feet of Superb German Engineering, 10 Bedroom/Bath, Galley, Dinette & Vista Lounge. Each room as individual A/C. Beautiful ride and handling. 60,000 miles. Mechanically like new. Needs cosmetics. $115,000. The contact is a guy called Jim on 1-310-327-8393 (only an answer phone has been obtained so far on this number) Photos/diagrams of all 11 Jumbocruisers are available on our Yahoo group. You may also find the following sites interesting: www.jumbocruiser.com http://jumbocruiser.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk http://www.jumbocruiser.de/ http://www.konrad-auwaerter.de/speyer_2004/04-busse/1976_auwaerter_n138_4_jumbocruiser_seg er/bus.html http://home.arcor.de/reisebus/neoplan/jumbocruiser/jumbocruiser.html Many thanks James Clarke thespacecowboy01@yahoo.co.uk | ||
| James Maxwell (Jmaxwell)
Rating: N/A |
Here u go Macgyver, makes that Flyer look like a Plymouth Mini-Van. This monster even makes an H5 look compact. Either my eyes have gone bad or this thing is well over 13-6. It's no wonder he couldn't get that company in Germany to get started on the work; they probably couldn't get over shaking their heads in dis-belief! | ||
| Jim (Jim_in_california)
Rating: N/A |
Well dayum. THERE is a shell to end all shells, no? What you do is, you rent the whole top floor out  . Or the back bit. Either way, first known "Duplex On Wheels" :D. | ||
| James Clarke
Rating: N/A |
I think that there were 11 Jumbocruisers built between 1975 & 1992. there is one in Japan that is about 12' tall and RHD (this one failed to get licenced to be used on the road and has been used in a theme park since. I think the Car-o-tel's height was variable between 13'2 & 13'6 but was the only Jumbocruiser with the split level upper deck. The others were fully seated coaches and about 13'6" tall, Some had a bar/lounge as well as luggage space in the bottom of the trailer. The maximum capacity was theoretically 144 seats but none were built like this, signifiacntly more if you include standees. The double deck artic was outlawed in some european countries and its popularity dwindled. An interesting point to note is that the last vehicle produced still had 4 axles, but 2 of which were on the trailer and it was the rear trailer axle that provided the drive!- it was rolled when 12 months old (apparently due to driver error) and is now being resurrected- see www.jumbocruiser.com. | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
Even Walmart would refuse that clown. | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Hehe... yea, it makes my bus look a bit small in comparison... but.. on the same note, that thing does a fine job of making 45' highway coaches look like Geo Metros!! I like my big bus... but that's just too much to deal with! -Kevin | ||
| Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy)
Rating: N/A |
I think MAK had one of these on his lot about 15 years ago when he was still in Long Beach. Richard | ||
| Marc Bourget Rating: N/A |
Richard, I remember he had an articulated bus which he brought to the 2d Laughlin convention, but I do not believe it was a Neoplan Jumbo. | ||
| Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy)
Rating: N/A |
The one I saw had a bunch of little private compartments. I believe this was several years before the Laughlin convention, but it is getting hard to remember that far back. LOL Richard | ||
| James Clarke
Rating: N/A |
The Car-o-tel did have a bunch of private compartments, 10 according to the ad in my previous message, but only 8 according to the diagram at my yahoo group: http://f5.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/oDf1QYYNmSxQQ4O2fJdkhskJbTglJ4JKs-wRSaSEJqjzHV6dt6pGjWzgiAuSg dfd2pGVlps8fMqmdjhUvLDsWw/Car-o-tel/Car-o-tel%20concept%20cut-away.JPG You may have to join the group to view this (but I dont think so) this was just a concept drawing, the actual vehicle produced had some differences. The Car-o-tel was built around 1978/9 so it could have been seen around 15 years ago, I am aware that it has changed hands a few times. It does not have the curved blend between the sides and the roof like other Neoplans, the side windows were flat and uniquely shaped, although the windshields were standard Neoplan Spaceliner/Skyliner items. JC thespaceoboy01@yahoo.co.uk |